ACU honors grad prosthumously

Lynette Rowland looks at strangers differently since her
husband was shot to death on the streets of a peaceful New
England community.

She eyes closely those who look angry or odd. People who
appear agitated beyond reason grab her attention.

Oddly, it's not fear or suspicion that drives Lynnette to
look into desperate eyes. It's compassion.

"Boy, I wonder what tragedy they've had in their life" is
her immediate reaction to strangers who could easily be
viewed with indifference or trepidation.

Her remarkable response to the death of her 36-year-old
husband, Mark, is something she can't completely explain,
but gladly accepts. She believes the attitude comes from her
husband's legacy of never complaining.

"Enjoy the day" was his motto, she said. "It's all you
have."

Mark Rowland's legacy was honored Monday night at Abilene
Christian University during the 82nd annual Bible
Lectureship. Each year, ACU awards a Distinguished Alumni
Citation to a former student, but Mark's honor was believed
to be the first ever presented during the annual
lectureship.

"We are making an exception tonight to recognize the life
of an exceptional young man," ACU President Royce Money said
in presenting the citation.

Even though Lynette has tried to "enjoy the day" since
her husband's murder on Aug. 20, 1999, that's not always
possible.

"Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly" blaring from a
department store speaker brought tears and bad memories at
Christmastime. But as soon as she felt the self-pity coming
on, she shook free from it.

"If I'm having a bad day, maybe others are, too," was her
reasoning.

Lynette was attracted to that same attitude in Mark when
they met at South 11th and Willis Church of Christ in
1990.

Lynette, who had never been to Abilene before, was
encouraged to settle here after doing mission work in
Venezuela. Friends told her of the mission community at ACU
and thought she would enjoy the fellowship of fellow
missionaries.

Mark , who was serving as a youth minister at the Church
of Christ in Manchester, N.H., was working on a master's
degree at ACU in marriage and family therapy. A year and a
half after meeting, Lynette and Mark were married and moved
to Manchester.

Their life was good. Mark worked as a family counselor at
Nashua Children's Home in Manchester, and Lynette operated a
day care center in their home. Their only child, Emily, was
born in August 1997.

Two years later, on the morning of Aug. 20, Mark left for
work to meet with a man who believed his 5-year-old son was
going to be snatched from him. According to witnesses, the
angry man had one last statement for Mark.

"My problem is with you and everybody else who is trying
to mess up my life," he said, and then shot Mark in the
head.

Four hours later, Mark died in the emergency room with
his wife and friends from their church at his side. In the
days that followed, Lynette and Mark's mother, Grace Rowland
of Syracuse, N.Y., were surrounded with friends from the
couple's church.

"It was so clear to me that God was using his people to
help me," Lynette said.

Mark's loss will be felt for a lifetime, and his wife
knows she still has hurdles to face. One will come in July
when she will give a victim's impact statement at the trial
of the man accused of murdering her husband. She will tell
him that when he shot Mark Rowland, he killed a man who had
a family, hopes, dreams and friends.

"I want people to know that when someone makes a decision
to kill somebody what the consequences are," she said.

Lynette has lost much since Aug. 20, but she retains her
faith. In an article in ACU Today magazine, she said she has
had to take a couple of steps back to gain perspective.

"There's no reason for me to say bad things about God,"
she said. "He had everything set up. He is still there. He
has given me the faith to look at him and not blame
him."

If you are a member of the media who would like more
information about this release, please contact Tom
Craig, director of media and community relations, at
craigt@acu.edu or call
915-674-2692 (cell phone: 665-5469).